Shoemaking



P 2, 1941- J. F. HARDY 2,254,367

SHOEMAKING Filed Nov. 3, 1939 Patented Sept. 2, 1941 SHOEMAKING John F. Hardy, Beverly, Mass, assignor to United Shoe Machinery Corporation,

Borough of Flemington, N. J a corporation of New Jersey Application November 3, 1939, Serial No. 302,740

4 Claims. (Cl. 12-442) This invention relates to shoemaking and more particularly to improvements in methods of bottoming shoes.

It is essential in the process of attaching an outsole to a shoe that the sole be located in such relation tothe shoe that the former extends out the. proper distances from the shoe bottom at all points. This becomes somewhat difficult, particularly at the toe. end, in the manufacture of shoes having laterally slotted heels of the type exemplified in Letters Patent of the United States No. 2,121,172 granted June 21, 1938, upon the application of FredsC. Lovejoy, since to obtain the proper interlocking of the sole and heel in such shoes, the heel end of the sole must be so positioned that it extends a substantial distance into the slot.

It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide a method of applying a sole to a shoe having a laterally slotted heel breast such that the sole may be quickly and accurately located on the shoe. Accordingly, the invention provides a method of shoe bottoming which comprises first attaching to the shoe a heel with a laterally slotted breast, inserting the heel end of an outsole into the heel slot to position the sole at the heel end, locating the sole laterally at its forepart, and then attaching the sole to the shoe.

The invention will be better understood when considered with relation to the accompanying drawing, in which Fig. 1 illustrates a shoe with the heel attached and, ready to receive an outsole;

Fig. 2 illustrates the steps of inserting the sole into the heel slot and applying activating solvent to the sole attaching cement and Fig. 3 shows the shoe on a supporting pad preparatory to the application of sole attaching pressure.

In practicing my improved method, a shoe It is first assembled with the usual upper and insole, the former being secured in overlasted position by any usual lasting means such as the staples II. A shank stifiener I2 is then applied and the margin of the shoe bottom is roughened to receive a coat of cement, in which condition it is ready for the bottoming operations.

The first of these operations is the attachment of a slotted heel. The heel l4 used for purposes of illustration is of the type shown in the abovementioned Letters Patent, and has in its breast adjacent to its attaching face a curved slot l6 of sufiicient width and depth to receive the heel end of a sole. It is to be noted that the slot I6 terminates inwardly of the sides of the heel so that the edge of the rearmost portion of the sole will not be visible in the finished shoe. To provide additional support for the heel, a tongue it extends forward slightly over the shoe bottom. The heel may be secured to the shoe in any of the customary ways, i. e.,'by.nails, cement, screws, or a combination thereof. I

- The next step" inthe bottoming operations is the locatingand attaching of the sole 2%. As illustrated in Fig. 2, the sole, which is cut to' exact size before attaching; is shorter than. the conventional outsole, extending rearwardly beyond the heel breast no further than the base of the slot [6 in the heel breast. The heel end 22 of the sole is trimmed, in the manner indicated in the above-identified Letters Patent, to form a tongue 24 which will enter and completely fill the slot 16 laterally, sufficient lateral curvature being given to it, by molding or otherwise, to correspondwith the slot.

The steps necessary for the particular type of cement being used will, of course, be performed at the appropriate times. If the cement is of the two-way type a coat is applied both to the attaching side of the outsole and to the shoe bottom. This may then be allowed to dry and an activating solution applied just previous to the assembling of the sole and the shoe.

To apply the sole to the shoe, the operator turns the latter bottom side up in such a position that the heel slot is easily visible to him. He then takes the previously prepared and cemented outsole 2B, and inserts the tongue 24 a predetermined distance into the slot 16, preferably to the full depth of the latter so that the tongue contacts the base 26 of the slot. By this means, the heel end of the sole is located in proper registration with the shoe bottom and with the heel, since the breadth of the tongue is exactly the same as the length of the slot and since in cutting the heel end of the outsole to fit the slot, the tongue is positioned to obtain the proper sole extension on either side of the shank of the shoe. In addition, the sole is properly positioned longitudinally of the shoe, and a proper extension is obtained at the toe end inasmuch as the length of the sole is carefully predetermined and its heel end 22 is positioned with reference to a known point, namely, the heel breast.

As illustrated in Fig. 3, the shoe is then placed on a sole supporting pad 28 of any type suitable to receive a shoe with an attached heel. The forepart of the sole having been positioned machine. 7

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new anddesire to secure by Letters Pat ent of the United States is:

1. That improvement in methods of bottoming a shoe which comprises attaching ,to theshoe a heel having in the breast l-tl'iere'of alateral; slot which terminates inwardly of the sides oflthe heel, inserting the fitted heel end of 'a previously cemented short sole into the r-heel slot with the end of said sole abutting the base of the slot .to completely fill said slot and position the sole longitudinally. and; laterally,- at the. heel' end; 10;-

cating: said. soleslatera'lly at. its; forepart;,and1

applying sole :attaching: pressure. r

2': That improvementin' methods'. ofbottoming a shoe which comprises: attaching to: theshoe a heel: having; inzthe' breast thereof a lateral slot which terminates. inwardly; of the sides of-f said heel, providing a: previously cemented: outsole the-heel end of WhiChrls adapteda-torfit-into and completely. fill the heel? slot. laterally, inserting,- the: heel end of .the sole intoithe' slot with the end: of: said: solelabuttingz the. base; of. the slot throughout; the:enti're;:width. of ,the sole; thereby to position the sole longitudinally and laterally at the heel end, manually positioning the forepart of the sole laterally with relation to the shoe, and applying sole attaching pressure.

3. That improvement in methods of bottoming a shoe which comprises attaching to the shoe a heel having a breast with a laterally curvilinear slot which. does notintersect the. sides of the heel, providing an outsole'cutlto'exact size andhaving a heel end which is trimmed to fit into and completely fill the heel slot laterally, applying cement to the attaching face of said outsole, inserting the heel end of the sole into the heel slot. with the end of the sole against the base ofisaidslot, thereby to position the sole longitudinally anddaterally at the heel end, 10- cating the forepart of said sole laterally, and applying sole attaching pressure.

4..That improvement in methods of bottoming a shoe which comprises attaching a heel having' formed: in thezbreast thereofr a laterally extending curvilineari slot which does not intersect the sides of the heel, bending therlieeltendi of alsh'ort: outsolercut to exact sizetot conform to-the1slbt saidheelend having been trimmed to fitiinto and completely fill :said slot laterally, applying 'cementto theoutsole; inserting: the heel end: a predetermined distance into "the slot, thereby positioning th'e sole longitudinallyandlat- 1 erally at the heel endvthereo'fl locating the forepart: of the" solei'laterally, and: applying.- soleattaching'pressure.

J OHN HARDY. 

